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Ska Studios has been around for seven years, and during six of those it's had a close relationship with Microsoft. All of its games, from The Dishwasher: Dead SamuraitoCharlie Murder, have launched on Xbox 360 or Windows Phone only. Dead Samurai won the Dream Build Play competition in 2007, serving as a catalyst for Ska's tight partnership with Microsoft.

"I've said it before: XBLA literally made all of my dreams come true," Ska founder James Silva said in 2012.

And now for the twist: Ska's first next-gen game, Salt and Sanctuary, will launch exclusively on Sony's PS4 and Vita. James and Michelle Silva, Ska's artist and community manager, made the announcement today.

"There were a bunch of factors that led to us deciding to publish Salt and Sanctuary with Sony, but it really came down to an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm from them," James told Joystiq in an email. "They loved Salt and Sanctuary, they loved our previous work, and maybe most importantly, they offered us Pub Fund support; after a bit of talking it became apparent that working together just made an insane amount of sense to us as both a business decision and a creative decision."

You're a sailor shipwrecked on this war-torn land, and you must fight harrowing enemies in between your time in the sanctuaries, pockets of protection where all of the island's travelers get rest and trade stories.

For the first time in Ska Studios' history, this game is exclusive to PS4 and Vita. Ska Studios traditionally works with Microsoft, launching all of their previous games exclusively on Xbox 360 and Windows Phone.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Indiejames-silvamichelle-silvaplaystationplaystation-vitaps4salt-and-sanctuaryska-studiosvitaThu, 28 Aug 2014 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/05/fan-launches-unofficial-pc-port-of-vampire-smile-says-its-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/05/fan-launches-unofficial-pc-port-of-vampire-smile-says-its-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/05/fan-launches-unofficial-pc-port-of-vampire-smile-says-its-not/#comments
Russian developer Barabus really wanted to see Ska Studios' Xbox 360-exclusive game, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, on PC - so Barabus created a cracked version and uploaded it to the web. Barabus didn't contact Ska Studios and didn't think creator James Silva would lose any money from the unofficial PC port.

On a game development forum, Barabus cited the following reasons the port was ethical (in English from Google Translate):

"The view was expressed that, with respect to the authors is not very nice to publish the game on the PC. I have to argue that the part of the authors are not very nice to publish the game exclusively for the Xbox 360, making it impossible for PC gamers to play in such a great game," Barabus writes. "Piracy - yes, that is bad. On the other hand, we do not steal the game for the Xbox 360, we release it for the PC port. Given that developers ignore the PC platform, about any loss of profit for them is not out of the question. After all, if they wanted to earn money, then the game would be issued on all available platforms. If the game came out on PC officially, then this thread would not exist."

Of course many players own both PCs and Xbox 360s, and an unofficial PC port could potentially lure away paying console customers and impact Ska Studios' profits. And Silva expressed interest in creating a PC version of Vampire Smile after finishing his next game, Charlie Murder. Silva responded to Barabus' port to Indie Statik.

"I guess you could say my reaction is mixed," Silva said. "I'm flattered that there's this much interest in Vampire Smile on PC. I'm not mad about the crack itself; in fact, I'm actually pretty impressed. But I'm bewildered by the cracker's attempt to justify the morality of it. He assumes a lot about why Vampire Smile's not on PC yet, and he could have cleared up a lot of those assumptions by just emailing me. I get that piracy is a service problem, but that's a consequence, not a justification."

Barabus added the following justification in the comments of that post: "The PC version has a lot of limitations. Cooperative gameplay is unavailable, network gameplay is unavailable, achievments is unavailable ...

"Original Xbox 360 version for pirates is more attractive. I gave only the opportunity to play for those people who have no Xbox 360. This is not piracy. This is restoration of justice."

Don't look at us, bud -- you're the game designer. Silva is, of course, currently working on the side-scrolling, punk-flavored beat-em-up Charlie Murder for Xbox Live Indie Games Arcade. After that adventure is all wrapped up, it may be time to wash those dishes yet again.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcjames-silvamicrosoftska-studiosslidestalkthe-dishwasherthe-dishwasher-vampire-smiletrilogyxboxFri, 16 Mar 2012 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/zombies-vikings-murder-ska-studios-on-wp7-and-the-future-of-x/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/zombies-vikings-murder-ska-studios-on-wp7-and-the-future-of-x/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/zombies-vikings-murder-ska-studios-on-wp7-and-the-future-of-x/#comments
In 2007, James Silva had just graduated college and settled into a 9-5 job. He was resigned to spend the rest of his existence in cubicle complacency, letting his lifelong goal to develop games as a career fade regretfully away. Then his indie title, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, won $10,000 in Microsoft's Dream Build Play competition, and everything changed. He quit his job, lived the life of a starving artist and perfected Dead Samurai until it passed certification from Microsoft.

"The work was exhilarating," Silva said in an interview with Joystiq. "I remember that when I got the email saying I'd passed cert, I ran around the apartment screaming."

The game sold "well enough," but more importantly, it led him to meet Michelle, his fiancée, who was a tester for Dead Samurai at PAX in 2009.

"I've said it before: XBLA literally made all of my dreams come true, right down to meeting the woman of my dreams," Silva said.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Endless-Zombiesi-maed-a-gam3-w1th-z0mb1es-1n-it1james-silvamicrosoftmobileska-studiosTime-Vikingwindows-phonewindows-phone-7xboxZ0MB1IES-on-teh-ph0neSun, 08 Jan 2012 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/xblig-facts-nazi-killing-a-no-no-revenue-a-yes-yes/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/xblig-facts-nazi-killing-a-no-no-revenue-a-yes-yes/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/xblig-facts-nazi-killing-a-no-no-revenue-a-yes-yes/#comments
During the Xbox Live Indie Games panel at GDC, a who's who of XBLIG developers (James Silva, Nathan Fouts, Robert Boyd and Ian Stocker) talked about their experiences, successes and failures self-publishing on the service. Perhaps of more use to budding XBLIG developers are some facts about the service, including the revenue split between Microsoft and the developer, as well as some gameplay restrictions.

For anyone who publishes an Xbox Live Indie Game, Microsoft takes 30 percent of the revenue, leaving 70 percent for the game maker. Even more interesting are some of the restrictions for games. James Silva of Ska Studios said it's impossible to have an XBLIG title where the player kills nazis, for example.

"That's like an inherent human right that's been taken away from us," Silva said. "We grew up on killing Nazis." Silva then went on to provide an anecdote about a game concept he had, about a burly mountain man who hunts people, but it turns out XBLIG isn't murder-friendly, either.

We've followed up with Microsoft for some more information on the guidelines of Xbox Live Indie Games.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2011ian-stockerjames-silvamicrosoftnathan-foutsrobert-boydxbligxboxxbox-live-indie-gameszombies-and-pterodactyls-20xxZP2KXSun, 06 Mar 2011 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/the-dishwasher-vampire-smile-gets-3d-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/the-dishwasher-vampire-smile-gets-3d-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/the-dishwasher-vampire-smile-gets-3d-support/#comments
Microsoft's February Showcase is underway in San Francisco, and with it comes news that upcoming XBLA action title The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is getting the 3D treatment. MS hasn't released details on exactly how the tech will be implemented, though it's worth noting that the game itself uses 2D sprites.

We've got boots on the ground at the showcase, so hopefully we'll get a chance to see it first hand.

Update: Find new screens in the gallery below and a trailer after the break.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3djames-silvamicrosoftmicrosoft-february-showcase-2011ska-studiosthe-dishwasher-vampire-smilexboxThu, 24 Feb 2011 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/charlie-murder-sells-out-to-xbox-live-arcade-in-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/charlie-murder-sells-out-to-xbox-live-arcade-in-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/charlie-murder-sells-out-to-xbox-live-arcade-in-2012/#commentsCharlie Murder's punk-rock adventure will now debut on Xbox Live Arcade in 2012, Ska Studios has revealed to Joystiq exclusively. Originally announced as an Xbox Live Indie Game, the beat-em-up was taken out of the indie lineup without reason following an appearance at PAX East 2010. As suspected, Charlie Murder will be pushed into the spotlight with a full XBLA release, alongside the previously scheduled end of the world in 2012.

While Ska Studios jokingly claimed development of the title had been put on hold while the game's stars could enter a rehab facility, developer James Silva revealed Charlie is getting a "complete overhaul" from its original vision. "We're going back to development for awhile so we can build tons of new content for Charlie Murder, to give gamers an XBLA-caliber, mayhem-infused, punk rock experience," Silva told Joystiq, while presumably ignoring "rules" and "not caring what you think."

Like Duke Nukem and Alan Wake before it, Charlie Murder joins the club of delayed games named after their protagonists. At least Ska Studios is hard at work on another project in the meantime.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charlie-murderjames-silvaMicrosoftska-studiosxblaXbox-360xbox-live-arcadeWed, 05 May 2010 14:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/charlie-murder-now-coming-to-unannounced-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/charlie-murder-now-coming-to-unannounced-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/06/charlie-murder-now-coming-to-unannounced-platform/#comments
Originally announced for a March 2010 release on the Xbox Live Indie Games platform, Charlie Murder, Ska Studios upcoming beat-em-up, is no longer confirmed for release through the Indie Games service. Developer James Silva told Joystiq, "As of now, Charlie Murder is not on any announced platform." According to a Ska Studios representative, the platform details and release date for the upcoming title have not been cemented.

During our PAX East demo of Charlie Murder, Silva confirmed the final game code would run on the XNA 4.0 engine, which works across Xbox 360, Windows-based PCs and the Windows Phone 7 Series mobile platform. While it's still possible Charlie will make his way to the Indie Games platform, Ska Studios is keeping a tight lid on the punk rocker's future since first revealing him to the world this past January.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charlie-murderjames-silvaMicrosoftska-studiosxblaXbox-360xbox-live-arcadexbox-live-indie-gamesxna-game-studio-4Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:40:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/dishwasher-vampire-smile-xbla-hands-on-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/dishwasher-vampire-smile-xbla-hands-on-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/dishwasher-vampire-smile-xbla-hands-on-preview/#comments
Like a lot of people, I purchased The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai when it launched during Microsoft's 'Days of Arcade' promotion in April 2009. But for some reason I didn't play the game as much as I thought I would. Perhaps it was its punishing difficulty or the swarm of releases that chewed through my time but once the game was safely in my digital collection, I abandoned it. After getting time to play two levels of the game's sequel at the Ska Studios booth at PAX East 2010, I'm looking forward to wiping the virtual dust off the original and play it as I patiently wait for The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>james-silvaMicrosoftpax-east-2010ska-studiosthe-dishwasherthe-dishwasher-vampire-smilexblaXbox-360xbox-live-arcadeThu, 01 Apr 2010 09:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/xbox-live-indie-games-2009-sales-compiled-z0mb1es-on-top/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/xbox-live-indie-games-2009-sales-compiled-z0mb1es-on-top/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/xbox-live-indie-games-2009-sales-compiled-z0mb1es-on-top/#comments
When we wrote initially about James Silva's twin-stick Xbox Live Indie Game, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1, the words "smash hit" didn't exactly come to mind. However, according to GamerBytes' breakdown of the Indie Games platform's sales over the past year, that's exactly what it was -- it outsold every other game on the service, moving 160,000 units at $1 a pop, which brought in $112,000 in profit for its humble developer, Ska Studios.

Check out GamerBytes' full list of sales data for more interesting tidbits about the platform's sales. For instance, it might interest you to know that Rumble Massage was the 6th-highest selling XBL Indie Game of 2009. Oh, sorry, did we say "interest?" We meant "horrify."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>I-MAED-A-GAM3-W1TH-Z0MB1ES1indie-gamesjames-silvamicrosoftrumble-massagesalesska-studiosXbox-360xbox-livexbox-live-indie-gamesTue, 26 Jan 2010 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/dishwasher-dev-announces-charlie-murder-for-xbox-live-indie-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/dishwasher-dev-announces-charlie-murder-for-xbox-live-indie-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/dishwasher-dev-announces-charlie-murder-for-xbox-live-indie-game/#comments
Between Ska Studios' The Dishwasher last year, this year's I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, and the recent announcement of Charlie Murder for Xbox Live Indie Games, the nascent developer has certainly been establishing a name for itself. The game's Facebook page offers us a first look at the characters and a bit of the gameplay (which seems to be an arcade beat-em' up with punk rockers/zombies), as well as a glimpse into the fictional band's history.

The game's announcement tells us that Charlie Murder follows the eponymous punk rock band on a side-scrolling journey to find the lead singer's girlfriend, Skelekitten, murdering everything in its path along the way. Ska Studios will be heading to PAX East and we've been told there's a "good chance" the game will be there, though a release window of "March 2010" means we might even be playing from the comfort of our couches before that.

Screenshots of what may be a sequel to the XBLA game The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai have landed on 1UP, allegedly supplied by the same saboteur that leaked those supposed Halo: Reach images. The shots certainly jive with the original game's art style and do feature some new enemies, backgrounds and objects. There are a number of new weapons shown, including a minigun, some kind of halberd, something that appears to be a giant syringe and -- our favorite -- a humongous pair of scissors.

When reached for comment, Dishwasher creator James Silva said, "Ska Studios does not comment on rumor and speculation," and then added, "I'm never inviting Tom Morello, Rebecca Romijn and Zach Braff over again."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dishwasher-dead-samuraidishwasher-dead-samurai-2james-silvaMicrosoftrumorska-studiosthe-dishwasher-dead-samuraithe-dishwasher-dead-samurai-2xblaXbox-360Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/dishwasher-dev-defends-xbox-community-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/dishwasher-dev-defends-xbox-community-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/dishwasher-dev-defends-xbox-community-games/#comments
After Clover developer Binary Tweed made its disappointment in the game's sales clear, it laid a portion of the blame at the feet of Microsoft and its Community Games platform (soon to be renamed Indie Games). James Silva -- head of Dishwasher developer Ska Studios -- has posted something of a rebuttal on his company's blog. His comments aren't directed expressly toward Binary Tweed, but rather toward any developer that thinks the service is an instant goldmine.

Silva points out that, even with its faults, Community Games has many advantages over a Windows release, namely visibility, easy payment processing and piracy protection. Addressing complaints that Microsoft doesn't do enough to market Community Games, Silva notes that many games simply won't fly on the Xbox 360, as there are already better versions available for the platform. Paraphrasing Silva, putting a tower defense game on Community Games is "a step down" from other strategy titles available. Meanwhile, all the music generators and ridiculous massage applications really have no competition from Xbox 360 retail titles, allowing them to address an untapped market.

Of course, none of that matters if a Community Game lacks the most important factor: fun. Silva encourages developers to "make better games," saying, "All of this blaming nonsense just hurts everyone, and tragically generates more blogroll buzz than any yay-XNA articles do."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-gamesindie-gamesjames-silvamicrosoftska-studiosxbox-liveThu, 16 Jul 2009 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/this-wednesday-bust-up-fools-in-dishwasher-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/this-wednesday-bust-up-fools-in-dishwasher-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/this-wednesday-bust-up-fools-in-dishwasher-dead-samurai/#comments
Announced via Major Nelson's podcast last night, this Wednesday's "Days of Arcade" XBLA game will be the 2D, side-scrolling, three-player co-op beat 'em up (breath), The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Coming in at 800 ($10), you might remember Dishwasher from GDC 2008 when, among other XNA titles, it was featured as a free download, showcasing the XNA development tools. Be sure to keep a lookout for the X3F Podcast-born achievement that pays homage to Peter Moore's fake guitar playing prowess! And if you're like us and can't spare the extra spacebucks just yet, feel free to window shop in our gallery below.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2dco-opdishwasher-dead-samuraijames-silvaMicrosoftside-scrollerthis-wednesdayweeks-of-arcadexblaxblawednesdayXbox-360xnaMon, 30 Mar 2009 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/02/dishwasher-dead-samurai-features-joystiq-inspired-peter-moore/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/02/dishwasher-dead-samurai-features-joystiq-inspired-peter-moore/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/02/dishwasher-dead-samurai-features-joystiq-inspired-peter-moore/#commentsWhen upcoming XBLA title The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai releases later this year, it'll come packaged with the sweet gaming aroma of X3F Joystiq. That's because one of The Dishwasher's Achievements, "The Peter Moore Achievement", was actually inspired by team Joystiq.

As the story goes, back during episode 044 of the Xbox 360 Fancast, we got the opportunity to interview Dishwasher (and recently released ZP2K9) developer James Silva. During our conversation, we recommended adding a Peter Moore Achievement based on Dishwasher's guitar riff gameplay, an idea that paid respect to Mr. Moore's notoriously botched E307 Rock Band performance (when he accidentally pressed the 360's guide button while rocking out). Well, it looks like Silva took us up on our achievement idea, which means we have another award to add to our "Achievements Named by Joystiq - Trophy Case of Success."

Fancy Achievement artwork, name and description can be viewed after the break.

Taking a cue from Peter Molyneux's Fable II review, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai's developer, James Silva, took the opportunity to review his own game before its release. Silva declares that it's inexcusable for his game to have 2D graphics. 2D is "by definition" not HD and is "completely inadequate at capturing our imaginations." He also notes there are glaring omissions from the game like Blades of Chaos, a reasonably sized manskirt, nudity and a boss the "size of a large building." Silva's final verdict on his own game: 1/10.

OUCH! Well, we'll have to do a metareview on The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai when it eventually releases to see if the critics agree with the developer's harsh treatment of the title. We can only expect Silva will now put some actual work into his game after giving it such a harsh review.*

*We pity the fool who doesn't see the tongues firmly planted in cheeks regarding all this.[Via X3F]

We're being told that there's this a new shift in our industry for how video game reviews are being done. With old iron side, Peter Molyneux leading the movement, gone are the days where game reviews are done by those who haven't worked on the game, and in are game reviews actually done by the developers themselves.

And following in Molyneux's footsteps is James Silva, The Dishwasher: Dead Samuraicreator who figured he'd do his own review of his own game. But before you scream "bias!", understand that most every developer is an honest soul (it's true). This developer honesty can be seen in Silva's review of The Dishwasher, where he gives his own game 1 out of 10, calling it "a mess" admitting that "not only are 2D graphics completely inadequate at capturing our imaginations, but 2D-by definition-is not HD." No truer words have been spoken. Make the jump to read creator James Silva's review of his own game and learn how truly bad it is. Any game that doesn't have a reasonably sized manskirt or nudity is "basically broken."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dishwasher-dead-samuraijames-silvathe-dishwasher-dead-samuraixblaWed, 03 Sep 2008 21:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/deadly-fresh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-screens/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/deadly-fresh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-screens/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/deadly-fresh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-screens/#commentsMr. James Silva, wearer of all the development hats for upcoming XBLA game The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, just sent us ten, you heard right, ten fresh screenshots from The Dishwasher. And again, we have to admit, we're extremely impressed! The art style sells us instantly and the not so subtle touches of gory violence makes us get a tingly feeling in our stomachs. Yup, it's Dishwasher and it better release soon before our patience wears thin and we're forced to partake in our own real life samurai-style killing spree. Admittedly though, new screenshots like these do take the edge off those urges.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dishwasherdishwasher-dead-samuraijames-silvasilvathe-dishwasher-dead-samuraixblaThu, 14 Aug 2008 16:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/dress-your-desktop-with-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/dress-your-desktop-with-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/dress-your-desktop-with-dead-samurai/#commentsThe Dishwasher: Dead Samurai creator James Silva recently posted this sweet 1440x900 wallpaper image on his Ska Studios blog for fans to dress-up their desktop in anticipation of the XNA title's release. Fans of the game, and of the wallpaper, could see the design make its way to a t-shirt in the future. While Silva hasn't decided on that yet, we'd recommend you drop into his blog and let him know you'd like to get this print on your threads ASAP. We know we do!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008-releasesdishwasherjames-silvathe-dishwasher-dead-...xblaxbox-live-arcadexnaThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/shhh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-demo-not-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/shhh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-demo-not-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/shhh-dishwasher-dead-samurai-demo-not-dead/#commentsKeep this one on the down-low, we mean don't go putting this on the internets or anything but it looks like someone at Microsoft forgot to hit the "off" switch on the XNA demo for The Dishwasher - Dead Samurai.

Set to expire at midnight on March 9, we found that the demo still booted up and worked correctly today -- March 10. Still having the demo on our hard drive, we attempting to boot the game when a screen told us that the demo had expired, but oddly continued to the main menu of the the game.

The Dishwasher - Dead Samurai, created solely by James Silva, was heralded by Microsoft as their main attraction for the upcoming XNA Community Games feature, set to release this holiday. While we expect Microsoft has already noticed, they can see what you're playing you know, we at least can give the fantastic demo for the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release a final farewell. Video of the demo going through after the jump.

At this time we haven't been able to confirm if all XNA demos are still functioning, but it seems likely that they will.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-gamesdishwasherjames-silvaxblaxnaMon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/gdc08-dishwasher-dead-samurai-impressions/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/gdc08-dishwasher-dead-samurai-impressions/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/gdc08-dishwasher-dead-samurai-impressions/#commentsRounding out our extensive GDC08 coverage we end up where we began, talking about James Silva's Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Eager to promote their upcoming Community Games feature slated to hit this holiday season, Microsoft released a number of demos made from their XNA development platform for free via Xbox Live Marketplace. One of the demos, Dishwasher, is one of four top prizes awarded by Microsoft for an XBLA release contract made by one extremely creative and passionate guy.
After spending the better part of a week "chopping dudes up," we've finally been able to put the controller down and tell you exactly how Dishwasher stacks up as a future, full-fledged, XBLA title.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dishwasherdishwasher-dead-samuraijames-silvaxblaxnaSat, 01 Mar 2008 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/x3f-interviews-james-silva-creator-of-dishwasher-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/x3f-interviews-james-silva-creator-of-dishwasher-dead-samurai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/x3f-interviews-james-silva-creator-of-dishwasher-dead-samurai/#comments
The annual Game Developer's Conference played host to something of a Cinderella story this year, plunging a once unknown game developer into the limelight. We're talking, of course, about James Silva, creator of Dishwasher: Dead Samurai and Microsoft's new poster child for XNA Community Games. We managed to catch up with James during the conference and ask him how things have changed since the last time we spoke. We also discussed just how James feels about Peter Molyneux and whether or not he's still considering the "Pulling a Peter Moore" achievement for Dishwasher's guitar segments (see 360 Fancast 044 at around 1:05:00). Find the interview after the break. The audio version of the interview is also available in our latest Fancast.

After our Fancast chat with James a few months back, we knew he was onto something and were confident that trusty Silva wouldn't let us down. During that same Fancast we learned a little bit about The Dishwasher's history, where the idea came from and how he got involved with XNA development. Though, sadly, we felt that we never got a chance to know the real James Silva. But now we feel we have a better understanding of the man behind The Dishwasher thanks to a "James Silva - A Life" documentary video that was shown during Microsoft's GDC keynote. And after giving it a watch, we're much more spiritually connected to James and The Dishwasher, so much that we're thinking about leaving our cushy blogging job just to become dishwashers ourselves. Go ahead, give Silva's story a watch but be warned that it's a very touching tale. So touching that it may make you (or at least Major Nelson) shed a tear.